Governor for player-pianos



C. FREBORG.

GOVERNOR FOR PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1919.

Patented June 21, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. FREBORG.

GOVERNOR FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1919. 1,381,91 1 Patented June 21, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET rarest ora ion.

CHARLES FREIBORG, KAll'I-STAKEE, ELLEN 01S, ASSIGNOR T0 PRICE 6'5 TEEPLE PIANO COMPANY, OF GHIGAGO, ILLIIIUIS, .1 3.

GQL'tEFGEATIQN 0. ILLIN 03153.

GOVERNOR FDR FLAYEB-PIANO$ To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Crmnnns Fnnnono, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors for PLyer-Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to improvements in governors for player pianos, and has for its object to provide an improved form of construction in which a governor is provided to control the exhaust of air automatically from a player piano motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction comprising an exhaust or vacuum motor and a governor, located adjacent the one to the other, in order to cut down thedistance which the exhaust air has to travel'between the motor and governor, thereby providing quicker action of the governor upon the motor.

Still another object of the inventionconsists in the peculiar construction of the governor mechanism.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully set forth and described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying; drawings, in which Figure 1. is a front elevation of a portion of the player piano construction, part of the governor member being shown in section, and the cover thereof being shown as removed;

i Fig. 2 is a verticalfsection through the governor member; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the motor member.

Like numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings, in which- 10 designates generally a vacuum motor comprising a plurality of double bellows 11. The motor is provided with a fixed frame or wall 10" see Fig. 3-which is tapered or inclined from top and bottom toward the central or pivotal point 10 Each of the double bellows is formed by the pivoted wall 11, which is attached to the wall or frame 10 by means of the inner end pieces 11*, collapsible side walls 11, and collapsible end wall 11. This construction provides a pair of bellows A, B, for each double bellows 11, the bellows B of each series being collapsed when the bellows A is expanded, as will be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31, 1919.

.is provided in the adjacent Patented June 21, rear. Serial No. 314,524.

obvious. This construction, however, forms no part of my present invention, and need not be further specifically described, save to state that the exhaust duct 12 extends transversely through the fixed wall frame 10 and a port 12 leads therefrom to the upper surface of the wall 10 for each of the double bellows. Auxiliary ducts 12 lead from the interior each of the bellows A and B to the surface of the wall 10, and a slide valve 14, having a groove 14* on its under surface, is provided, one for each double bellows 11.

Assuming the exhaust duct 12 to be in communication with the air exhausting means, or region of vacuum, when the slide valve is in the position shown air will have been exhausted through the lower duct 12 groove 1 1 port 12*" resulting in the collapsing of the bellows B. At the same time the duct 1'2 furnishes communication between the atmosphere and bellows A, which permits its expansion. A connecting rod 15 connects each of the slide valves 141- to a rocker arm 16, which is also pivotally attached at its other extremity to a finger 17 the wall 11. The rocker arm is also pivotally mounted upon acrank shaft 18. The bellows are so arranged and timed as to rotate the crank shaft -see F 1,'-such rotation automatically operating the slide valves, as will be obvious. The rotation of the crank shaft 18 is transmitted to the pinion 18 and suitable gearing is provided to to tate the winding roll or music roll, as desired.

Located adjacent one end of the motor 10 is the governor member, generally indicated by the numeral 20see Fig. 1. This governor member is secured by screws 20 to one end of the wall or frame 10, a spacing strip 20 being interposed. An aperture 21 side of the governor frame 22, and into this-aperture projects and closely fits the tube 12, as shown in Fig. 1.

The governor, as stated, comprises the fixed frame 22 and the transverse piece 23 extending between the sides thereof and near the bottom, shown in Figs; 1 and 2. This partition forms with the frame the governor chamber C and the auxiliary chamber D- A duct 22 is provided in one side into the exhaust duct,

I by numeral 3l see Fig. 1.

wall of the frame, and extends from the aperture 21 to and into the chamber D.

' A; main exhaust duct 25 is provided in the supporting bar 26, and leads to any suitable form of exhausting means. From this main exhaust duct leads the duct 27 upwardly through a portion of one sideot the frame 22 and across the partition 28,as shown in Fig. l-trom whence it communicates w1th the chamber C through the duct 28 see Fig. 2.

Pivotally attached by a. flexible strip at 80 is the movable bellows wall 3l,-see Fig. 2which has the usual flexible end and side walls 32, 58, respectively. Projecting inwardlyfrom the movable wall is the bridge member 81 slotted at the top, as indicated A cross pin 31 extends across the slot 31*, as shown in 2. A red 87 extends across the governor chamber C, anda bell cranlr38 is looped about said rod-at 38. The end 38 of the bell crank rests upon the pin 81, and at its other end is angularly directed and apertured' at 38 to engage the end 40 of a spring 40. The other end of this coil spring en-- gages an aperture 41 of the threaded rod 41, projects'upwardly through the top oi frame 22, and is engaged by the threaded knurled nut 42. It will be obvious that the rotation oi this nutwill operate, through the rod'41, to vary the tension in the spring 40, and thereby through the medium of bell crank 38 to resist the collapsing of the bellows, of which 31 is the movable wall.

A slide valve 43 slides upon the inner face of the partition 23 to control. the flow of Y air through the passage 28. This slide valve is operably attached to the movablewall 31 by means of the wire member 44., which. is of sufficient resilience to maintain the Slide valve 48 clcsely pressed against the parti- 7 tion 23. Tt will be apparent thatthc movement oi the wall 81 will result in like movementof the slide valve 43, so that when the bellows formed by the movable wall are collapsed the passage 28 will be substantially closed by the slide valve 48.

The auxiliary chamber Dis divided'into two portions by the plate 45, whichis suit ably apertured, as indicated by numeral 45see l-to provide communication between the two portions of the chamber l). A rotatable disk valve 46 is carriedby the rotatable shaft 4'? extending through the cover 48 of the governor 20. This disk is maintained in close contact with the plate 45 by means of the spring 49, coiled around the shaft 47, which latter also carries out wardly of the governor a lever 47" which is attached to an operating rod 49,01 thelilre.

The disk valve46 is apertured, as'indicated at 46 and coacts with the peculiarly shaped aperture 45 from the chamber D to the governor chamber 0, thereby controlling the tempo, as is well known to those skilled in the art,by controlling the flow'of air from the motor. The valve 46isknown as the tempo valve.

In the operation oi my device it will be apparent that assuming a. vacuum to obtain in the main duct 45, by operation of exhausting means-slot shown liow of air will ensue from the double bellows ll of the motor 18, through the duct 12, passage v22, and into the chamber l), in which, the tempo valve being in open position, air will flow through aperture into. the V bellows formed by the movablewall 8i, and into the chamber C, from whence it will iiow through the passage 28 into the duct 27, and from. there into the main duct 25.,

Assuming the pressure to be constant, the amount oi? air flowing will be regulated by the size of the aperture 45 and the speed of the motor will be substantially constant. As is well known,'however, fluctuations in the vacuum or partial vacuum, caused by the exhausting means, frequently occur, and it is the purpose of the governor tocombat these fluctuations. Assuming a sudden increase in the vacuum, 2'. e., a reductionfof pressure, this vacuum will be transmitted through. governor chamber Girom the main exhaust duct 25.-' This reduced pressure will operate to collapse, or partially collapse, the governor bellows against the action of coil spring 40.. This results in a partial closing of the passage' 28. by the slide valve 43. This reduction of the passage, coupled with the increased'vacuum, maintains the flow of air as it was before fluctuation, assuming that the tension of the spring 40 is properly adjusted. In short, when'th e vacuum is increased the flow of air 7 which determines the speed of the motor is maintained constant by'reducing the size oi the passage 28. I i I The governor 20, being attached and located adjacent the motor, results in the provision of a comparatively short fiow between the bellows l1 and the governor chamber, so that the compensating action of tor, in contradistinction to devices hitherto used, which were located at some distance from the motor, and which allowed perceptible periods of time to elapse before compensation of the governor was effective at the motor, thereby impairingthe value of the governor. V a It will be obvious that my construction is susceptible of modification and improve ment, and I do not theretorewish to herestricted to the form shown andfdescribed, except as defined-in the appended claims.- What I claim is: a 1. A governor for vacuum motors comprising a bellows member having a movable wall, and means to resist the collapsing or said bellows, said means comprising a pivoted bell crank, one end of said bell crank being attached to a spring member.

2. A governor for vacuum motors comprising a bellows member having a movable wall, means to resist the collapsing of said bellows, said means comprising a pivoted bell crank, one end of said bell crank being attached to a spring member, and means to adjust the tension of said spring.

A governor for vacuum motors comprising a bellows member having a movable wall, and means to resist the collapsing of said bellows, said means comprising a pivoted bell crank, said movable wall having a bridge member, one end of said bell crank being in contact therewith.

4. A 'overnor for vacuum motors comprising a bellows member having a movable wall, and means to resist the collapsing of said bellows, said means comprising a pivoted bell crank, said wall having a bridge member, and a pin carried by said bridge member, one end of said bell crank beingin contact with said pin.

5. A governor for vacuum motors com prising a bellows member having a movable wall, and means to resist the collapsing of said bellows, said means comprising a pivoted bell crank, one end of said bell crank being attached to a spring member, said movable wall having a bridge member, one end of said bell crank being in contact therewith.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

CHARLES FREBORG. 

